The days of Amos were much like our days. There was prosperity in the land. In fact, Israel was living in luxury. Plenty of money, plenty of time, no wars, "Life was Good." The people thought they had everything they needed. King Jeroboam II was in charge. He had his own little preacher, Amaziah, in his pocket, to tell him he was doing fine. He was a proper little preacher, he went to prophet school, got his degree in, "How to win friends and influence people.

I can see him now, coming to the pulpit, strictly by the bulletin. "Good morning ladies and gentlemen, if you don't mind this morning let us turn in our copies of better homes and gardens, to page 55." Of course it was better homes, it couldn't have been ,the Word of God.

"When all of a sudden!!" From out side the window comes, "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion." "God will send judgement upon this wicked nation." I love a man of God,that tells it like it is. Amos didn't come to make friends and influence people. He came to give them the Word of God. He came to tell them to get right or suffer the consquences of their sins. " There's a famine coming boys, if you don't get it right. Not a physical famine, but a spiritual famine." They didn't listen, just like many today, are not going to listen. But it came just like God's man said it would. For four hundred year Israel didn't hear a word, Not one word from God. I can't imagine one day without the Word of God. Can you imagine four hundred years. I'll tell you this much, though, I believe that America is in the mist of a famine. Why? Because we as a nation have forgotten God. Hosea chapter 4:6 says that Israel did that and it put them in a dangers place. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." I don't want God to forget me or my children. So i began to look for ways to prepare for a famine. I found two basic things common with famines; One: they were either caused by nature; or Two: they were the judgement of God. The second could be avoided if the people would stay out of Sin. The other had to be suffered. And generally shows what we're made of. The famine in Abraham's day showed his weakness in faith, which in return showed him a need in his life. Sometimes we must be tested to see our needs. But how do we survive a famine? By these steps.